Beckford to Wolves? The rumour mill continues

Not a week goes by when there isn’t a Jermaine Beckford rumour printed in one of the national rags. This time, it’s the turn of the Sun. Possibly the Holy Grail of tabloid nonsense and unfounded lies. Selling copies became more of a priority than reporting any kind of truth for this poor excuse for a newspaper many, many years ago.

"Wolves? What shirt am I wearing Bruv? Are you being serious?"

You can just imagine the thought process that went in to this story. Free-scoring Leeds have one of the most prolific goalscorers outside the Premiership on their books, whilst Wolves are struggling for goals. Already there’s a link between the two sides in Sam Vokes, who is currently on loan to Leeds and alas, we have a swap deal involving the youngster. Clever stuff, isn’t it?

No. Quite simply, it’s not. It’s lazy journalism at it’s best and the kind of nonsense that means I’d never, ever buy a copy of this pointless daily collection of lies. Of course, the story is backed up by no actual sources whatsoever, but what do you need them for when you have millions of gullible readers that will decide it’s gospel by the time they’ve finished their cornflakes.

The fact of the matter is, that Vokes has largely disappointed whilst at Leeds. In such a free-scoring team, he’s managed just one. Whilst his first touch and control have been impressive, he’s looked lazy at times and missed more chances than I could possibly count. Meanwhile, whilst Beckford is good, he isn’t Premier League good. He misses his fair share of chances too, and you just don’t get as many in the Premiership, so I doubt he’d ever succeed.

The only way this story could have any feasibility to it at all, is if Wolves are intent on relegation and think Beckford could do a job in the Championship for them next season. If that’s the case, then it shows a total lack of ambition from Wolves and I can’t help but feel sorry for their supporters. Beckford quite simply isn’t the man to keep you in the Premier League. Fact.

We both know there’s no truth to it whatsoever so totally pointless discussing the money.

Grumpy Older Man

With respect TSS all we know is Beckford can talk to who he likes in 29 days and that whovever stumps up the wages he wants can have him for free in June or for very little in January. What I can’t get my head around is why people think Beckford’s situation will somehow be different to every other “in demand” player and result in him staying? Basically this is a divide between the here and now and the future and what was witnessed on Tuesday was our post Beckford very near future.

I don’t doubt he’ll go. I just don’t believe anyone would be daft enough to pay £Xmillion for a player they can get for free in six months. It’d be financial management to rival that of Peter Ridsdale.

Furthermore, we both seem in agreement that his talent will take him as far as the Championship. Any team with a handful of scouts will be able to figure that out, so all the Premier League rumours are nonsensical.

Grumpy Older Man

Well again lets follow through some relaities. The post on my blog about Stoke being a feasible rumour stands, Pulis is the kind of manager who thinks he could smooth out a few edges and in the context of the moeny Stoke get for being the new Bolton even a silly bid is possible. With Wolves its about a gamble, the board and the manager proberbly now know they havn’t got the personel to stay up, so pay out in tranfers and wages for other PL clubs fringe players and still go down or raid the FL for a saviour or too….

My gut feeling is Beckford will get the best of both worlds, will go to a CCC club, in the January window, where he won’t be the difference between promotion or not and settle for the odd game and plenty of sub apperences, knowing he is with a PL club next season. So that is WBA or Newcastle and so long as they stump up some cash in January i don’t care which.

Yorkshrman

At the risk of repating myself again, WHY would Beckford leave in January? Leeds would only let him go (surely?!) for a chunky sum, which would restrict the buying club’s ability / desire to pay an equally chunky signing on fee. If he sits tight for another few months he can walk away – and earn a much bigger signing-on fee at the end of the season.

From what we have been told, Beckford has never asked for a transfer ….. he’s just refused to sign a new contract. And for all the criticism he gets (including from me), I actually think he has generally looked more committed this season than he has in the past.

I really do believe that his his long-term aim has always been to see out his contract and Leeds, and I don’t see any reason to change that view now.

Leeds through & through

again i think that grumpy old man you need to get your head from between your legs and actually think about what your saying, if beckford goes and we keep the likes of vokes that is a big big loss, vokes will never score the goals that beckford does, end of the day beckford scores the goals that were going to need for promotion so wake up and smell the coffee mate either we keep him and go up or we let him go and struggle through the play offs again!!!!

Terry

The more i watch of Beckford lately, the more he annoys me. He seems to believe that he is far too good for this club, when, at best, he would average 15 goals in the championship, nevermind the PL. The weekends televised match showed it, he should have had 2 before Ian Roper got one for Kettering. He just strikes me lately as the guy who doesn’t want to be here, he is scoring to advertise himself, and everytime he does, he does that arrogant ‘look at how good I am’ celebration. Not that Vokes is any better. I’m curious to see how a Becchio – Grella partnership would do.

Ian

I’ve recently come to the conclusion that most of the so called ‘football writers’ obtain their rumours – not from people in the know or their contacts in the game- but through ‘Football Manager’ on their PC or ‘FIFA 10′ on their games console. Such is the idol rubbish I see and the ridiculous fees they come up with for average players.

And murdoch want’s to charge for this sort of drivel? Yeah right!

I’m sure someone may take a gamble on Jermaine Beckford and throw a bid at us in January. I can also see Ken Bates making dumb excuses as to why Beckford didn’t want to stay and it was out of his hands and he reluctantly had to pocket another few million that should have gone into the club funds. I for one think we underestimate the lad as a player. Particularly at League 1 and Championship level. The older fans will remember Keith Edwards. Prolific for Sheffield United at the lower levels. Couldn’t hit a barn door any higher. Jermaines goals can take us into the premiership, there he may struggle because of the quality of the defenders.

If we can persuade Bates not to cash in – which I doubt. Then we should offer him a VERY good contract with clauses for promotion, goals scored, etc.

for another example of rubbish so called journalism, take a look at this from the Mirror:

I occasionally wish Beckford would go to the prem and score a hatful of goals jus so I can read the posts about how bid bad Ken could sell such a great striker. The lad has been a consistent top scorer for us, and a lot of his finishes are top drawer. We’re in the third division and he’s doing what he gets paid for, scoring goals and winning games. I’m confused.

TSS – I don’t know why you persist putting debates about Beckford on this site, because all you get are Beckford bashers. I don’t know how many times I have to defend this guy from complete goons who know nothing about football.

To those who say Beckford can’t score in the PL or only would get 15 goals in the Championship – how exactly do you know that? Are you a football manager? Do you know more than Peter Reid, who came to watch Beckford at Oldham (shame he didn’t play – he he). Beckford is by far one of Leeds’ best players. By saying that Beckford can’t do a job in the Championship, means that you think that the majority of the current squad wouldn’t be able to do a job in CCC. That’s just not true. Sure, the current squad wouldn’t win the CCC, but it wouldn’t get relegated either. The team’s only been beaten twice this season.

It’s just moan moan moan – as Yorkshrman rightly said – he never asked for a transfer and as for the person who thinks Beckford’s heart’s not in it because of his ‘how good am I’ goal celebration – well I’m not sure how long you’ve been supporting Leeds, but he’s been doing that for the last 2 seasons – that’s his trademark celebration, it’s hardly a new thing.

Some people may not like Beckford, but I’ll tell you this, there are a lot of people who do, and a lot of people who are interested in him and that’s why there’s always rumours or newpaper articles about him. Whether they’re made up or the truth, it goes to show who people outside of Leeds United think is the star man. I don’t hear many rumours about people coming in for Becchio or Johnson or Naylor etc. etc.

If Beckford was one of the weaker players on the team then I’d understand some of the criticism, but he’s not. To all the moaners, why don’t you watch the games and actually pick on those who played poorly before picking on Beckford?

Agree with you completely, but as I said above , it’ll continue unless he signs a new contract because some of the more cynical fans see it as a sign of disloyalty. We all like to think there’s no bigger or better club than Leeds and that no one should ever consider leaving.

That said, I do agree he’d struggle in the Prem. His chances to goals is quite poor (as the stats show) and he wouldn’t get that many opportunities in the top flight. The CCC however isn’t massively different from L1 bar a few teams and he’d be just as affective there.

Yorkshrman

“The Beckford debate” is, in many respects, like the “Bates debate” – it polarises Leeds fans, and makes it difficult for anyone to walk the middle ground. I don’t understand why any right-minded Leeds fan should want to see Beckford leave; but that doesn’t mean I think he should be immune from criticism – just like any other player. I’ll use the Orient game last week as an example; I came away from that game really frustrated with Beckford, because he didn’t seem to be prepared to make an effort to go for anything which wasn’t played right to where he was standing. I DON’T expect him to be chasing back to his own penalty area; but in a very tight match he COULD have made so much more of a difference, just by challenging when the ball went to a defender who was only 3-4 yards away. And I don’t see why I shouldn’t be allowed to have a go at him for that.

As for his potentail, I think he will struggle at a higher level. Do I know that? – no; but I pay my money to watch him every week, and I’m entitled to my opinion, like everyone else. And I’d love to see him playing for Leeds in the Champ next season, scoring 30 goals, and proving me wrong!

Ramblinjohn

Good to see a few posts standing up for Beckford. Grayson has said he wont go, beckford has said nothing, he is entitled not to sign a contract he doesn’t agree with and, despite those people doubting his commitment, he keeps banging in goals – Vokes doesn’t, Enoch doesn’t, Grella doesn’t, but Beckford does.

If we go up, don’t be surprised to see Beckford sign…and if we don’t go up, who could blame him for going?

Beckford is a striker we can rely on to work hard one week and be lazy the next. He will miss a hatful but score so many vital goals that his goals will probably earn us an extra 15 points in a season. He is infuriatingly bad one minute and incredibly good the next. Sometime you wonder if he actually meant to do it! In League 1 he gets away with his inconsistencies and he might in the Championship, depending on how many goals he scores and how lenient the manager is. At Premiership level I don’t think he would be tolerated and would have to buck his ideas up and be far more consistent. He would find it much harder against far better organised teams and far better defenders.

Do I want him to leave though? No. He gives me something to moan at on match days and just when he has me completely exasperated, he scores the winning goal out of nothing. I don’t blame him for not committing to Leeds yet. Why would he do so last summer when it would tie him to a club that might not have gone up and which was offering him wages he thought (or his agent told him) could be bettered.

If Leeds go up, they will undoubtedly be able to offer him a better deal and he may then sign. They may even promise him a better deal in January if we go up, just to keep him interested. I don’t believe he wants to go, but nobody can blame a guy for taking more if it is on offer. Comparatively, these League 1 players get low wages compared to those paid higher up the league, but if he stays at Leeds he might then find he will earn more than he would at most, if not all, Championship clubs. Therefore he would be better to stay with us until the summer and see what happens.

If he does leave in January, because we get a stupid offer (from a stupid chairman) we need to replace him and quick. Vokes will never score as many as Beckford so buying him would be pointless. I prefer Becchio any time and they are too similar to play together. At this level I would break the bank to sign Grant Holt or Ricky Lambert, but again, they are ‘old fashioned Centre Forwards’ who may not go with Becchio too well. Lose Beckford and don’t replace him and our ‘guaranteed’ promotion could quickly turn into a scrap to the finish line. We never look like scoring as many goals when he isn’t on the pitch, largely because most defenders at this level follow him around like lambs, leaving gaps all over the place for others to exploit.

Matt bb

Leeds are a better going concern to sell in ccc, bates knows that, without beckford he wont get there, he wont sell him in january, and beckford would profit from a signing on fee as a free agent. Open your eyes lads. He will go but not until july.

Acid

Erm…… don’t forget.. Beckfords agent is the one who has stalled Beckford in signing the new contract, which is improved from his contract at present, agreed, not greatly.
Beckford will not go in January, he is helping the team get automatic promotion. He’s staying as he is as if we don’t get automatic promotion, he can walk away in the knowledge he tried his best. He is a great gaol scorer at this level, I also think he could easily do the same in the league above, bbut for the Prem League? Who know’s, I think he could.. if he was consistent for the full 90mins per game!
As for the tabloid bullshit the dribbles out of the mouths of overweight journo’s.. ignore it. They know shit.

Rob

Why go? We go up when Wolves come down and its back to square one for him, no sense at all.